Edgerton Family Newsletter
February 2018
Edgerton Elementary School
5145 South 116th Street
Hales Corners, WI 53130
Phone: 414-525-8900
Chris D'Acquisto, Principal
Message from the Principal
Dear Edgerton Families,
 
As we enter February, we look forward to the second half of the school year. It has been a joy to see your children learn and grow academically, socially and emotionally.
 
I’d like to remind parents that semester 1 grades are available in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. An easy way to access is through the Infinite Campus link on the top bar of the Whitnall website. After logging into IC, look for K5 Elementary Grade Report. See below in the newsletter for more information.

If you would like to take a moment to access the Whitnall School District grading philosophy, and WSD grading scale, you can access through the EES website under Families, then click "Grading and Assessment." I've supplied the direct link here .
 
We greatly appreciate the support of our room parents. On February 14th, parents will organize Valentine’s Day classroom parties. Our students really enjoy opportunities to celebrate with their classmates. 
 
Our second annual Kindness Retreat for 4th graders is taking place on Tuesday, Feb. 6th. The students will collaborate with facilitators from Youth Frontiers as well as WHS students. It will be a powerful and inspirational day of learning about ways to be kind and accepting of others. Thanks much to our EES PTO for sponsoring the retreat.
 
Check out the pictures below of some of our lucky raffle winners from the PBIS prize cart. We've had a successful launch to our PBIS positive behavior acknowledgements this year, and continue to look forward to pointing out the positive in the second semester.
 
Chris D’Acquisto
Principal
VIP lunch in the office with our secretaries, Mrs. Windt and Mrs. Lescrenier.
Building tour with our lead custodian, Mr. Dan.
Viewing Report Cards in Infinite Campus
To view your child's report card in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal, make sure you choose the "REPORTS" option and not the "GRADES" option. Once you click on Reports, click on the K-5 Elementary Report Card and the report card should appear. If you do not have access to your Infinite Campus parent portal, please contact Kay Larson at 414-525-8526 or [email protected]. She can provide you with set-up and login instructions.
Six Flags - Read to Succeed
The PTO is sponsoring the Six Flags Read to Succeed Program again this year. To participate, students in grades K5-5 need to read for fun for a total of 6 hours or 360 minutes. They can read books, magazines, newspapers, eBooks or comic books. Reading for homework or a class assignment does not count. Every student who completes the challenge is eligible for a free admission ticket to Six Flags. Reading logs must be completed and returned to school by February 14, 2018. Student reading logs and more information can be found here.
PTO Update
  • Join us for a restaurant promotion night at Schlotzsky's on Wednesday, February 7th from 4-8 pm. Mention you're from Edgerton and 15% of your meal price will be donated back to the PTO. For more information click here
  • The next PTO meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 8 at 7:00 pm in the library. Participating in the PTO through meetings or other activities is a great way to meet other Edgerton parents, find out about school activities, and learn more about our school and its educational offerings. Please join us!
  • The next box top drawing is scheduled for Friday, February 9th. Keep clipping those box tops!
  • Mark your calendars for the PTO Family Fun Dance and Silent Auction!. It will be held at Whitnall Middle School on Friday, March 2nd. Watch for more information soon!
Student Drop Off and Pick Up Reminders
Please review the following procedures regarding drop off of students:

Students should not arrive at school before 8:25 am. Students may enter the building at 8:30 am. We have noticed a number of students being dropped off as early as 8:00 am. There is no playground or in school supervision before 8:25 am as staff are involved with meetings and other preparation activities during this time. Parents are responsible for arranging before school care as necessary. We will begin to notify you by phone if early arrival becomes an issue. In addition, please make sure you are using the designated parking areas or drop off lane. We understand that mornings can be busy, but for the safety of all please follow the rules.

If you are picking up your child in the car pick up line after school, he/she should be able to get into the car on the passenger side without assistance. If your child requires assistance getting into their vehicle, please park in one of the parking areas, meet your child on the playground and walk them to the car where you can assist them.

Thanks for your cooperation in making our morning and afternoon routines safe and efficient.

Also, just a reminder that dogs are not permitted on school grounds due to allergy concerns or possible fear associated for some students.

You may also refer to the Edgerton Parent Handbook on the Whitnall website for more detailed information regarding these topics.
Winter Concerts
Our fourth and fifth grade students have been busy preparing for their concerts to be held later this month. The fourth grade concert is scheduled for Wednesday, February 21 and the fifth grade concert is set for Thursday, February 22nd. Both concerts will begin at 6:00 pm and will be held in the EES main gym. The theme for the concerts is "Through the Decades." Each concert will be a bit different as the students helped to select songs for their grade level. We hope you can join us for these performances!
First Grade Passion Projects
The first grade students have worked hard over the past few months on completing their passion projects. They had the opportunity to explore and learn about a topic of their interest. Students researched and interviewed experts about their topic, and then created a final project. On January 19th, the students displayed their projects in the classroom. Family members and EES staff members were invited to view the projects and listen to students present information about their topics. A wealth of information was presented on many topics! It was a learning day for all the adults who visited as well. Great job first graders!
4th Grade News
The 4th grade students visited the school forest on Friday, January 26. The focus was on studying the structures and functions of trees and changes that take place throughout the year. They had great weather for their exploration!
In reading, thirty books published in the year 2017 were shared with the fourth graders during the first semester of the school year. In preparation for the "official" announcement of the 2018 Caldecott picture book winner, the students briefly paged through each of the thirty books, taking notes on the quality of the illustrations. At the end of the book review, students voted electronically for their selection of the best illustrated children's book of 2017. The Edgerton Elementary Mock Caldecott winner,  Where Oliver Fits by Cale Atkinson was announced at the end of the school day. Honorable Mentions went to the runner-up books:  La La La, Malala's Magic Pencil, Lost and Found Cat, and Here We Are. It was a fun, exciting event! 
Emergency Closing Reminders
When severe weather or other emergency conditions exist so that it becomes necessary to close the school and/or dismiss early, parents will be notified using our Infinite Campus Messenger System. Please be sure that your email and phone contacts are current to ensure you are receiving these messages. Contact Kay Larson at 414-525-8526 with any Infinite Campus account questions.
The Whitnall School District also publishes closing information on the Whitnall website, Facebook, Twitter and through local radio and television stations. Please note that Whitnall is not part of MPS (Milwaukee Public Schools). Pay close attention to the closing announcements to be sure it includes the Whitnall School District. There may be instances when MPS is closed and Whitnall will remain open.
Also, an emergency closing card was sent home at the beginning of the year for all parents to fill out. This card informs staff members what procedure students should follow if it becomes necessary to close the school during the day. Please notify the school of any changes in phone numbers as they occur during the year. You may contact the school office to report these changes or to ask any questions. The phone number is 414-525-8900. 
Cold Weather - Dress for It :)
Students will go outside when the temperature / wind chill is above 0 degrees. Please be prepared for the weather conditions by making sure you child has a warm winter jacket, hat, gloves, snow pants and boots. When snow arrives, students without boots and snow pants will only be able to play on the blacktop area. It is also a good idea to send an extra pair of socks along on those snowy days so your child can have dry feet after recess time..
Important Dates 
  • February 6 - Grade 4 Kindness Retreat
  • February 7 - PTO Fundraiser at Schlotzsky's 4-8 pm
  • February 8 - PTO Meeting 7:00 pm
  • February 9 - Box Top Drawing
  • February 14 - Classroom Valentine Parties
  • February 16 - K4 to Wehr Nature Center
  • February 19 - No School - Staff Development
  • February 21 - Grade 4 Concert 6:00 pm
  • February 22 - Grade 5 Concert 6:00 pm
  • February 27 - Grade 4 Papermaking Activity